Definition

1. Verb:
   • To delay an event or action to a later time: To arrange for something to happen at a later date than originally planned.
   • To place something in a position of lesser importance (archaic): To treat something as secondary or less significant.

Usage

• The primary use is to indicate a planned delay. It is a transitive verb, requiring a direct object (the thing being delayed).
• It is often used in formal or neutral contexts, such as in business, education, or official announcements.
• Common structures: or .

Examples

• Verb:
  • The committee decided to postpone the conference until next month.
  • Due to the heavy rain, they had to postpone the outdoor wedding.
  • I think we should postpone making a final decision until we have more information.

Advanced Usage

• "to postpone indefinitely": To delay something without setting a new, specific date, often implying it may not happen.
  • The project has been postponed indefinitely due to a lack of funding.
• "to postpone to a later date": A formal phrase specifying the action of moving an event to the future.
  • The court hearing was postponed to a later date.

Variants and Related Words

• Postponement (noun): The act of delaying something or the state of being delayed.
  • The postponement of the flight caused inconvenience for many passengers.

Synonyms

• Defer: To put off to a later time, often for a specific reason.
• Delay: To cause something to occur later than planned, sometimes due to an unforeseen obstacle.
• Put off: A more informal phrasal verb meaning to postpone.
• Suspend: To temporarily stop or delay, often with the intention of resuming later.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Put off: (Informal synonym for postpone).
  • We had to put off our meeting until tomorrow.

Related Idioms

• Kick the can down the road: (Informal idiom) To postpone dealing with a problem or making a decision.
  • Instead of solving the budget issue, they just kicked the can down the road.

Verb

1. hold back to a later time
   • let's postpone the exam